Rodin’s moisture-rich Olio Lusso

Eleven essential oils in one small-batch skin salvation

As we emerged at last from winter, my skin was doing little skips. Thanks to the combined effects of an especially harsh New York cold patch and perhaps a little too much holiday sun (I know better, but it’s that wonderful vitamin D), my complexion has been left dull and rather lizard-like. But what’s got me through it is a recommendation from a clued-up-on-beauty friend: Rodin’s Olio Lusso (£97 for 30ml, pictured), aka “luxury oil”. This elegant moisturising serum is made from 11 essential oils sourced from plants and botanicals, with not an acid, perfume or chemical preservative in sight.

Developed by former fashion editor and stylist Linda Rodin, Olio Lusso face oil has garnered an ardent following since its launch five years ago. First mixed and bottled in Rodin’s Chelsea flat, it is now produced in larger batches in a boutique New Jersey factory to keep up with client demand.

There are many elixirs on the market that claim to repair dry, damaged skin but they often clog my pores with their thick emollients, or they sting because of some chemical ingredient. By contrast, I found Olio Lusso to be instantly soothing: its combination of jasmine, calendula flower, rosehip and sweet-almond oils is naturally calming.  

Of the other ingredients, one of the most unusual – and certainly most powerful – is neroli, an essential oil that is packed with vitamin C and helps to promote elasticity. Meanwhile, the fatty acids found in evening primrose oil, the anti-inflammatory properties of the Scandinavian arnica plant and the vitamins A and D found in apricot-seed oil, each make my weary visage perk up and say, “Thank you”.